Garden trough beside Patio Garden.
Cherry Tomatoes, Mountain Magic
My largest Hamelia Patens
Four O' Clocks on Bank.
My largest Tithonia diversifolia
My gravel path.
Some potted plants.
More potted plants.
And more pots of plants.
A sunflower from seed sowed last spring.
One of my patches of Ginger Lily.
We got rain last night and it was a pretty substantial one. More forecast for coming week. Hope you have a great Mother's Day.
I worked on putting the gravel down to make a new path to the Rain Barrels. DH did not like walking on the Red Lava Rock, so I made a new path with the gravel only. It looks smashing and I'm worn out. It took me 2 days to finish it and last evening I worked until dark. Some of the bags of gravel were full of Barb's garden soil because her irrigation sprinklers had gone off on top of the gravel where Barb had raked it out. I just scooped it up and put it in bags, 12 bags of stone. Only 4 of them were muddy. Big job, but I am proud of my work.
We got a few minutes of rain today, but it was only a light sprinkle. I almost lost a container to this heat because I have not been watering as I should. I need to pay closer attention and see when the plants are wilted early in the morning. I am very thankful to have a good shady tree in the back to keep my potted plants under.
The surgery for DH's macular hole has been cancelled until further notice. It's a problem between the doctor, surgery center, and our insurance. They will work it out and do the paperwork and then they will call him with the new date. I hope it won't be too long. He was devastated when they called yesterday afternoon.
The Patio Garden looks naked because I had removed the Silene, and now it's just a sand pile. I want to get some shade out there before I plant anything else in that area. I will take pics of now and later.
Peace & Plenty. 
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Looking out Lanai window.
Before the Silene started growing.
Silene & Tomatoes, etc.
These are the before, and I will get some good pics later after I have planned a decent Patio Garden.
Yep, it's taking a toll on just about everyone and everything. We found out today that 150 letters have been sent out to folks who live in this complex regarding things about their house/lawn that needs repair, or they will be fined. I think it is so sad when we try to save water and then a drought happens, and your grass dies or turns brown, and they can ding you for it. I am not a fan of HOA's.
I've been watering the grass in the front with the hose, and it is actually looking better. I go out at 4 am and then again at sunset.
DH is having his eye surgery on Monday. We have an appt. to pick up more bags of gravel in the morning at Barb's. I will not put it down until we start to get rain. After surgery DH won't be able to lift anything heavy or do anything strenuous for a month. We bought swim goggles for him to use in the shower after surgery. So cute!
I'm dog sitting tomorrow from 10 to 3. We have 2 invites for the weekend. Yesterday evening I cleaned out the Patio Garden and saved Silene seed and pulled up the dead plant stalks. I have a good-sized bucket full, plus more left over from last year. Early this morning I moved all the plants from a smallish garden bed in the front yard and put the plants in a different bed. It does not matter if I lose them, because they had to come out of there. I left the 3 Ginger Lilies that I had planted there, and they are starting to grow. Yeah! This drought is awful, and it makes me feel like giving up trying to garden. Just when you get your plants in the ground or pots, and you anticipate some good rains make things grow lush and beautiful, that is when the drought hits.
Thanks for letting me vent. 
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I will be adding St. Augustine plugs to the lawn a little at a time. I can get them in our yard, Jeff's yard beside us, and Ray's yard. The trick is to keep them watered so they can stay moist. Once the rains come, I will put in many more, but I started with only 3. I've got a bunch in water soaking right now.
I have a new job working for Ray, one day a week, watering, cleaning up plants, deadheading, pulling baby Cherry Laurel seedlings, (They have a bunch of those), etc. I will enjoy this job and I'll be making money.
I feel as if I saved the tomatoes just in the nick. The 2 patches of tomatoes look so much better. I will enclose a picture of the first ones that I planted. The tomatoes are call Mountain Magic and they are Big Cherry Tomatoes. I did cut the rotten bottom off the first ripe one and it tasted delicious. Keeping my fingers crossed. 
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We had fried green tomatoes from the ones I salvaged, and they were ok, but I prefer the big tomatoes for frying.
It's hot here. I can only work outside before the sun comes up and after it goes down. Peace & Plenty.
Our lawn has never been green or lush since we moved here, but it does green up when the rainy season hits. Right now, it looks like a dried-up yard should look in drought if you do not have irrigation. We are looking into getting the irrigation working again, and they are 6 wks out before we can even get an estimate. We have heard rumors of folks being fined for no grass and even forcing them to resod. OMG! That is scary! This is the very reason why I do not want to live in an HOA property.
I was outside at 4 am watering the front yard with a hose. I drenched it good and proper, and I will continue to do so twice a week until it rains.
My tomatoes that were in the dog kennel squares were released yesterday and I discovered that they have some type of disease. It is sticky and looks like wilted leaves. I will spray it this morning at daylight and deep water those tomatoes. They are going to be in the setting sun and sun most of the day. I pulled off all the blossom end rot tomatoes and will fry them up today. Hopefully I will be able to salvage my plants. Dunno.
The first tomato patch beside the garage will get a makeover too. I need to remove the paper and gravel and put more good mulch down and deep water. That was a mistake to put the paper and gravel around them, but I was grasping at straws. I now realize that particular area beside the garage is just not accommodating for vegetables. It is too narrow and I'm unable to dig deep enough for tomatoes. There is a cable line and huge Sycamore tree close by and Azaleas.
Do you see what I mean? Too narrow, competition for moisture, and I should not have put them there. I'll be so glad when that Silene goes to seed and I can have my Patio Garden back. I don't ever intend to put Silene in there again.
Peace & Plenty.
